Here is the link to this decision notice.
https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2172699/fs50684466.pdf
Following allegations of Wirral Council’s abuse of vulnerable benefit claimants, DHP audit failure and an ongoing breach of statutory law, this was a successful Freedom of Information request we placed with the Council on 9th February 2017.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/benefit_discretionary_housing_pa
The ICO found in our favour and Wirral Council have been given 35 days (early December) to furnish the requested information or potentially have the matter referred to the High Court.
The following four links provide the complete background of this case:
- FOI Request to Wirral Council. Discretionary Housing Payments
- UPDATE: Leaked Wirral Council email: Discretionary Housing Payments Unlawful for 18 Months
- “Most Improved” Wirral Council. Breaking the law on Discretionary Housing Payments – and now an FOI failure – have vulnerable families been evicted?
- Wirral Council Fails to Withhold Crucial Discretionary Housing Payments Report
Return to Bomb Alley 1982 – The Falklands Deception, by Paul Cardin
Wirral In It Together 
LAs must be made accountable we pay for them.
Thank you for this Best Wishes Finola
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Thanks Finola. Around the same time as we placed this FOI request, we attended court in Liverpool and watched some of the senior perpetrator(s) behind council breaches of law molesting a bible that was placed before them, then breaking their oath by copiously lying to a judge.
This conduct gave us pause for thought, and spurred us on to be particularly determined on the part of the unseen, unknown victims who’ve had their rights trampled over in this Discretionary Housing Payments case, and who may have found themselves evicted and homeless as a result.
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But they are just the tools of the policy makers, who want more homeless, so they can utilise their council houses and get these powerless people into their people as commodities profit, in their mental health industry etc. The LAs services are more and more privatised for max profit to forward the government’s third way agenda, not just tory but labour started it, and that appears to be being enforced by the ‘assassins creed’ method ie all is allowed to achieve its purpose. And it needs to be fought as you are doing by exposure and trying to enforce the little laws we can Best Wishes Finola
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Hello Finola , in this case there was deliberate wrongdoing on the part of the manager . It was not a case of ” being the tools of policy makers.
Myself and another Team Leader repeatedly reminded her and a Senior Manager that we were breaking the law , by routinely including people’s disability benefits in financial assessments for Discretionary Housing Payments. Basically the managers attitude was she can do what she likes she is the manager and if she chooses to ignore the rules that’s ok
. It became a nightmare to administer the benefits , because she issued instructions to keep on including the Disabity Living Allowance ” well they have more money than others , so why should’nt we ?”
We had so many appeal for third party advocates asking why we were ignoring the Hardy V Sandwell Court Case , how do you answer that , ?
The Department of Works and Pensions guidance , which should be followed by decision makers , supported the HVSanwell decision, the Manager chose to ignore this .
The Whistleblowing in this Case was upheld . That is the Monitoring Officer agreed that the law was being broken .
It’s to do with abuse of power , lack of supervision and scrutiny .
The WB was bullied out of their job .
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Apologies for typos
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